January One, In Which We Begin and Finish Things

This morning, I got out a brand new notebook and a brand new pen for my journaling. It’s a New Year, and I think it deserves fresh supplies. I’ll fill up the old one with my lists and planning, which I plan to start Thursday when the kids go back to school.

I also selected my inspirational reading for this year. I’ll be reading Simple Abundance in the mornings, and Something More in the evening, for as long as it lasts. I’m sure there are not 365 “chapters” here. That’s okay, my backlog of inspirational reading is large. Ahem.

I’m trying to cultivate a quieter, more centered self this year, and these books are part of that. As is the Positive Psychology course I am taking this semester. More on that at a later date.

And here is my finished scarf, shot with macro to show the detail. It is small which makes it very multi-functional– think neck, head, waist. I’ve decided I need a scarf/shawl pin. Perhaps one of you know where I can find that?

In other news, Tina picked up one of my tweets today and ended up throwing down a gauntlet for me. Apparently, I am making myself some sort of garment(s) designed to cover my lower extremities, at least up to the thigh. I have 3 or 4 skeins of Opal Tiger here, and I am beginning to think through this project. I have time since I cannot currently GET to this yarn, hahaha.

I may end up doing a heel-less, toe-less legging type thing with a waistband and strips to hold them up. Assless chaps, girly-girl style. Calm yourselves, I am thinking practicality–doing it this way would mean they need washing less often.

I’ll probably end up combining the Holy Sheep Baby Bottoms pattern that I wrote, with some of Elizabeth Zimmerman’s ideas about “nether garments” from The Knitter’s Almanac and a couple of ideas from Wendy Johnson’s Toe-Up Socks for Everyone . Before I can allow myself to dig for that yarn, though, I have to finish my Maryland socks and knit up two hanks of Lorna’s Laces sockweight, so I have a bit of time to plan and design.